ID :
124054
Tue, 05/25/2010 - 10:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/124054
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MALAYSIA FACING UPHILL TASK IN CLEARING PALM OIL IMAGE IN EU
By Durga Varma
KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), May 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is facing an uphill
task in convincing consumers in the European Union that its palm oil is
sustainably developed and is not a major source of Green House Gas emission, the
Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy, Gernot
Pehnelt said Monday.
He said palm oil's image in the European Union is generally bad as the
campaigns by non-governmental organisations like Green Peace and Friends of the
Earth have been so successful in discrediting palm oil.
Speaking to reporters at the International Palm Oil Sustainability
Conference here, Pehnelt said it was going to be hard to overcome this picture
and that professional marketers should be employed to set the picture and record
straight.
"The consumers out there have a retention span of about a minute. If you
show them a picture of oil palm plantations and a baby orang utan, that leaves a
very lasting negative impression on them," he said, adding that EU consumers
are not going to read comprehensive research papers to clear any doubt.
Pehnelt, who recently undertook a study on European policies towards palm
oil, said the European Union should reshape its policies towards palm oil,
conduct objective and non discriminatory calculations regarding GHG emission
savings values and support palm oil imports from developing countries rather
than restricting them.
"This will not only prevent political conflicts and trade disputes in
conjunction with the issue of palm oil but also foster economic growth and
development, reduce poverty and contribute to the ambitious GHG emission savings
goals on a fair and reasonable basis," he added.
As for biofuel, which is increasingly being used in the European Union,
Pehnelt said of particular concern was palm oil biofuel.
"Producers of palm oil must get the product certified as eligible under
mandatory blending, following which, the use of palm oil for electricity and
transportation systems will definitely improve," he said.
Pehnelt also said biodiesel is a rising market and prices are going to be
very attractive in future and may become "another pillar of your
industries".
-- BERNAMA